On this incredible week-long journey in Mongolia, get an instinctual feel for the nomadic life a world away from home. Explore the capital, Ulaanbaatar, witness the glow of the Flaming Cliffs at sundown, experience the living traditions of the Mongolian people on intimate visits to local ger camps, and open to the unfamiliar resonances of Mongolian throat-singing, created to combat the loneliness of the nomadic herder under the big sky. Read More

Discover the abundant art, visionary architecture, and inspired culture of Russia’s historic Golden Ring, an elliptical string of medieval towns that once formed the political and economic core of the powerful Kievan Rus. From Moscow, the country’s political and business capital, circle a series of enchanting towns and villages in the countryside, each celebrated for their ancient kremlins, historic wooden churches, fascinating frescoes, and time-honored handicrafts. Read More

The fascinating countries of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan encompass some of the most spectacular
and absorbing hidden corners of Central Asia. Dive deep into the distinct cultural identities and multi-layered history of these extraordinary lands, discovering ancient desert citadels, dramatic Silk Road fortresses, and surprising Soviet-era remnants, and connect with artists, experts, and tribal villagers who still cling to traditional ways of life. Read More

Join a fascinating and adventurous journey through two of the most remote and rarely explored countries in Central Asia – Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Experience the proud traditions and hospitality of Kyrgyz nomads in the highlands, enjoy visits with local Tajiks in their timeless mountain villages, and take in majestic and hauntingly beautiful landscapes along one of the world’s most scenic drives, the Pamir Highway. Read More

Traverse four of the five ‘Stans of Central Asia on this private rail journey along the Silk Road. Begin in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city. Continue into Kyrgyzstan to inspect the capital, Bishkek, and take a boat ride on the country’s most beautiful lake, Issyk-Kul. Dip into Khujand in Tajikistan to meet with a local family and hear about their daily lives. Stop in Tamerlane’s UNESCO-listed hometown, Shahrisabz, before visiting three famed Uzbek Silk Road oases – Samarkand, Khiva, and Bukhara – all of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Experience four UNESCO sites in 16 days, with seven hotel nights and eight nights onboard the comfortable Orient Silk Road Express private train. Read More

Explore the remote corners of Russia, including the wild Kamchatka Peninsula, uneasily perched on the Pacific Ring of Fire, and Yakutia, a challenging northern frontier known for mammoths and diamonds. Meet the indigenous peoples of these far-flung locales, and admire two natural UNESCO World Heritage Sites as you contrast the Kingdom of Permafrost in Yakutsk with the steaming Valley of the Geysers in Kamchatka. Read More

Join MIR on a one-of-a-kind adventure as we return to the fascinating and complex North Caucasus region, today experiencing the very beginnings of a revitalization of tourism. Discover the ravishing mountain landscapes, medley of cultures and overflowing hospitality of North Ossetia, Ingushetia, Chechnya and Dagestan, where ancient mountain tribes have guarded their way of life for thousands of years. Read More

On this adventurous journey, discover the unspoiled mountain landscapes and remarkable living traditions of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, two of Central Asia's least-known countries. Range from alpine Lake Issyk-Kul in the Kyrgyz outback, where the exciting World Nomad Games presents contests in eagle hunting, stick wrestling, and intense Central Asian horse games, to the high, jagged mountains of the remote Pamir Highway in Tajikistan. Read More

Step deep into the cultures of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia, experiencing local life in one of the most hospitable regions of the world. Share stories and warm meals in mountain villages, sample natural wines and fantastic local cuisine, and meet craftspeople who work in clay, stained glass, metal and wood — all of it set to a soundtrack of polyphonic singing that can give you goosebumps, and traditional instruments playing the old, old songs of love and heartbreak. Read More

The seldom-traveled Baikal-Amur Magistral (BAM for short) rolls through some of the most remote, roadless taiga in the country, through dramatic mountains and over miles of tundra. The train stops at crumbling little towns thrown together in the 1970s for railroad workers, where the few who remain stay for the beauty of the Siberian outback. Then head south to Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, to celebrate the “three skills of man” – archery, horse racing and wrestling – at the country’s favorite festival, Naadam. Read More

Traveler Reviews

“Thank you for all your help. MIR has been unbelievably helpful, reliable and good value for the money. Your personal help has been invaluable as well. If anyone ever asks me which agency I used to go to Central Asia I will refer them to you.”- S. Kelley - San Antonio, CA